Two titles to help us prepare for the bardo...

The Tibetan Book of the Dead (translated by Robert Thurman)

The Dalai Lama's blessing attends Thurman's translation of the Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between. Composed by Padma Sambhava in the late eighth century, this text minutely describes the "betweens" ( Bardos ) or after-death transition states. Thurman, who opens this work with a new section of preliminary prayers, gives a helpful commentary in terms Westerners can understand and boldface portions to be read aloud in the presence of the dead. He closes by appending Nyingma tradition works to the main text.

Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying

Sleeping, Dreaming, And Dying is the account of an historic dialogue between leading Western scientists and one of the foremost representatives of Buddhism today, the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Revolving around the three key moments of consciousness of sleep, dreams, and death. Sleeping, Dreaming, And Dying is engrossing and highly readable, whether the topic is lucid dreaming, near death experiences, or the very structure of consciousness itself.